Month: December 2020

10:06 AM GMT ESPNcricinfo staff Tom Latham struck 12 fours and a six during his 86 on the opening day of the first Test against West Indies but the leave was probably the shot that defined his innings. After winning the toss on a greener-than-usual Hamilton pitch, West Indies got debutant Will Young out early, but Latham and Kane Williamson added 154 for the second wicket to put New Zealand…

9:32 AM GMT Andrew Fidel Fernando Shoaib Malik has given the Lanka Premier League his seal of approval, a week into the tournament. Malik is the most experienced T20 player in the league, having now played 405 T20s, and is among the high-profile overseas players in the tournament. He has played in various T20 leagues around the world, including the Big Bash League, Bangladesh Premier League and Pakistan Super League….

9:08 AM GMT Rahul Maniraja Dec 4: Colombo Kings vs Jaffna Stallions, Hambantota Pro Tip: The strength of these two sides is their allrounders. So, go for a lot of allrounders in your XI, backed by some proven overseas players like Laurie Evans and Usman Shinwari. Our XI: Dinesh Chandimal, Laurie Evans, Avishka Fernando, Dhananjaya de Silva, Angelo Mathews, Andre Russell, Thisara Perera, Wanindu Hasaranga, Isuru Udana, Usman Shinwari, Dushmantha…

9:04 AM GMT Rahul Maniraja Dec 4: Australia vs India, 1st T20I, Canberra Pro Tip: The average score batting first at this venue in the last five T20s is 171. Only once in these five games, the chasing team has emerged victorious. So pack your team with the batsmen from the side batting first. Our XI: KL Rahul, Aaron Finch, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Steven Smith, Hardik Pandya, Glenn Maxwell,…

7:50 AM GMT The BCCI has signaled the likely addition of two new teams to the IPL. That, along with the “discussion” on cricket in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, are two key items the BCCI has listed on the agenda for its forthcoming annual general meeting, scheduled in Mumbai on December 24. Ever since the conclusion of the 2020 IPL, which was held in the UAE due to the…

Cameron Green surprised by KL Rahul’s niceties behind stumps (0:31) The allrounder says he was taken back by the well wishes on debut from Indian wicketkeeper KL Rahul. (0:31) 5:36 AM GMT Alex Malcolm Australia debutant Cameron Green was “taken aback” by some unusual words of encouragement from an unlikely source when he arrived at the crease for the first time in international cricket. Green, 21, was visibly nervous as…

4:59 AM GMT Going to the New South Wales north coast enclave of Byron Bay to find yourself is usually the preserve of musicians, or perhaps a few Superannuated early retirees. Joe Burns, though, may be the first Australian opening batsman to take this road by way of preparation for a Test series. Following a decidedly underwhelming Adelaide block of early season Sheffield Shield games in which he tallied scores…

5:24 AM IST Saurabh Somani Close Saurabh Somani is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo Toss West Indies chose to bowl v New Zealand /b> Jason Holder won an important toss and chose to bowl against New Zealand in the first Test. The pitch at Seddon Park in Hamilton was lush green, almost indistinguishable from the outfield, and the playing XIs for both West Indies and New Zealand reflected that. Both…